A super easy homemade meat pie to please the whole family

This pie really is super easy if you prepare it in two stages

Mid-week meat pie by Justine Schofield. Photography by Rob Palmer

This pie really is super easy if you prepare it in two stages. I double-batch the pie filling, keep half for a pie that night and freeze the rest. Then, later down the track when I need a no-fuss, easy-to-assemble dinner, I just thaw the filling, top with the pastry and bake.

Try too my tuna and potato pie and my chicken drumstick stew.

Justine Schofield’s meat pie will be a midweek winner for your family. Pictures: Rob Palmer

This is an edited extract from Cook Ahead by Justine Schofield (Plum, $39.99).

Family meat pie

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
• 1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and chopped
• Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper
• 1kg beef mince
• 2 tablespoons plain flour
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 125ml (½ cup) red wine (such as shiraz or cabernet sauvignon)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 250ml-500ml (1-2 cups) beef or chicken stock
• 1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
• 1 × 375g roll of frozen butter puff pastry, thawed
• 1 teaspoon black sesame seeds or nigella seeds (optional)

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat; add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, rosemary and salt and pepper and sweat off, stirring occasionally, for 6-8 minutes to soften the vegetables.
2. Add the mince to the pan and break up the lumps with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the beef changes colour, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook off, stirring once or twice, for a further 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for 30 seconds, then pour in the wine and bring to the boil. Add the Worcestershire sauce and stock – adding the stock gradually until you reach your desired consistency – then cover with the lid and reduce the heat to low.
3. Cook for 30-35 minutes or until the beef filling is thick and rich.
4. Pour the beef filling into a 25cm (1.5 litre) round pie dish and allow to cool for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C fan-forced. Brush a little egg wash around the rim of the pie dish and cover the beef filling with the pastry. Press to seal around the edge, then trim the excess pastry. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and pierce a hole in the centre of the pie with a small sharp knife. Sprinkle on the sesame or nigella seeds, if using, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top of the pie is golden.
6. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving with peas and tomato sauce.

Serves 4